Jorda: 'Less physical' Formula E easier for women than F1

FIA Women in Motorsport Commission member Carmen Jorda thinks more women should target racing in Formula E instead of Formula 1 due to its "less physical" nature.

Jorda sampled a Formula E car for the first time during a demonstration run at last weekend's Mexico City E-Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in an event organised by a sponsor.

Asked if Formula E would be easier for women to get into, Jorda said: "I think so. I think it’s a less physical car than in Formula 1 because of the downforce and because of the power steering as well. So for sure.

"The challenge that we women have in Formula 2 and Formula 1 is a physical issue and I think in Formula E, we won’t have it.

"It’s not for me to decide what’s good for women or not in the sport. But in my experience, [in] karting, Formula 3, GTs, I think women are capable of good results in all those series. But in Formula 1 and Formula 2 I think there is a barrier which is a physical issue.

"When you get to Formula 1 you have downforce, you have power steering, not as much as Formula 2 actually as Formula 1. That is why I think there is a big issue for women and that’s why there aren’t any in those championships."

Jorda has not conducted a full racing plan since leaving GP3 at the end of 2014, having recorded a best result of 13th in three full seasons, but was appointed to the FIA's Women in Motorsport Commission in December.

"Our objective is to get more women involved in motorsport because we want to make motorsport as accessible for women as all other sports," Jorda said.

"I think it’s growing, there are more women involved in karting, in other aspects such as karting but as well as roles such as engineers, to not make it look like it’s a male-dominated sport."

Jorda is hopeful of seeing more women race in Formula E in the future, following the lead of Michela Cerruti, Katherine Legge and Simona de Silvestro, with de Silvestro becoming the first female point scorer in the series at Long Beach in 2016.

"You can see all the drivers who are here, the car that I tested is not a super-difficult car to drive, but there are so many different things that you have to learn how to manage," Jorda said.

"It's a challenging championship. It's a high level in motorsport.

"Formula E has already had some women here, so why not to have more?"